Abdolkarim Behjatpour
Table of order of revelation for Surahs: finding a table of order of revelation for Surahs through study of historical narrations made by the scholars of the Quranic sciences.
Finding the order of revelation for Surahs is one of the issues discussed by Muslim scholars while considering Meccan and Medinan Surahs. They sought to find the table of order of revelation through hadiths (see Zarkashi, 1/187-205; Suyuti, 1/ 34-69; Zarqani, 1/ 135- 142); al-Tamhid, 1/ 99- 113).
According to ‘Allamah Tabataba’i, such hadiths are weak sources and for the recognition of the Meccan and Medinan Surahs in a correct way he emphasizes on the consideration of the context of verses and the usage of internal and external pieces of evidence (Tabataba’i, al-Mizan, 13/ 233- 235).
The way to find a table of order of revelation of Surahs: Apart from confidence of some scholars of the Quranic sciences and interpretation, an acceptable and compelling table may be constructed through finding a series of documented tables, specifying common points in various orders of Surahs [in such tables], finding the harmonical Quranic context between such cases, and then evaluating and judging differences between the tables on the basis of the obtained information.
From a comparison made between 10 well-known tables, it has become clear that there is a general and conclusive agreement concerning the order of 71 Surahs. Considering the remaining 43 Surahs, difference lies only in some tables from among the above 10 tables so that there is no general and important difference between most tables.
Thus, such tables are reasonably reliable and a widely accepted and prevalent table inferred from them is taken as a primary standard to find the place of each Surah. According to the 10 tables, an order which is accepted at least by 7 sources is as follows:
- Al- ‘Alaq, 2- al-Qalam, 3- al-Muzammal, 4- al-Mudaththir, 5- al-Hamd, 6- al-Masad, 7- al- Takwir, 8- al-A’la, 9- al-Layl, 10- al-Fajr, 11- al-Dhuha, 12- al-Inshirah, 13- al-‘Asr, 14- al-‘Adiyat, 15- al-Kawthar, 16- al-Takathur, 17- al-Ma’un, 18- al-Kafirun, 19- al-Fil, 20- al-Falaq, 21- al-Nas, 22- al-Tawhid, 23- al-Najm, 24, al-‘Abas, 25- al-Qadr, 26- al-Shams, 27- al-Buruj, 28- al-Tin, 29- al-Quraysh, 30- al-Qari’ah, 31- al-Qiyamah, 32- al-Humazah, 33- al-Mursalat, 34- al-Qaf, 35- al-Balad, 36- al-Tariq, 37- al-Qamar, 38- al- Sad, 39- al-A’raf, 40- al-Jinn, 41- al-Yasin, 42- al-Furqan, 43- al-Fatir, 44- al-Maryam, 45- al-Taha, 46- al-Waqi’ah, 47- al-Shu’ara, 48- al-Naml, 49- al-Qisas, 50- al-Isra, 51- al-Yunus, 52- al-Hud, 53- al-Yusuf, 54- al-Hujr, 55- al-In’am, 56- al-Safat, 57- al-Luqman, 58- al-Saba, 59- al-Zumar, 60- al-Mu’min, 61- al-Fussalat, 62- al-Shura, 63- al-Zakhraf, 64- al-Dukhan, 65- al-Jathiyahm 66- al-Ahqaf, 67- al-Dhariyat, 68- al-Ghashiyah, 69- al-Kahf, 70- al-Nahl, 71- al-Nuh, 72- al-Ibrahim, 73- al-Anbiya, 74- al-Mu’minun, 75- al-Sujdah, 76- al-Tur, 77- al-Mulk, 78- al-Haqqah, 79- al-Ma’arij, 80- al-Naba, 81- al-Nazi’at, 82- al-Infitar, 83- al-Inshiqaq, 84- al-Rum, 85- al-‘Ankabut, 86- al-Mutaffafin, 87- al-Baqarah, 88- al-Infal, 89- Al-i ‘Imran, 90- al-Ahzab, 91- al-Mumtahanah, 92- al-Nisa, 93- al-Zalzal, 94- al-Hadid, 95- al-Muhammad, 96- al-Ra’d, 97- al-Rahman, 98- al-Dahr, 99- al-Talaq, 100- al-Bayyanah, 101- al-Hashr, 102- al-Nasr, 103- al-Nur, 104- al-Haj, 105- al-Munafaqun, 106- al- Mujadalah, 107- al-Hujarat, 108- al-Tahrim, 109- al-Jum’ah, 110- al-Taghabun, 111- al-Saf, 112- al-Fath, 113- al-Ma’idah, 114- al-Tawbah. The point which should be noted is that the above order corresponds to other combinational orders left by interpreters and scholars of the Quranic sciences and obtained through other ways (see, Baghdadi, 1/9-10; Suyuti, 1-77-78; Ma’rifat, al-Tamhid, 1/104-107; Ramyar, 2/66).
